Let's Explore the Color of the Year

I’m not sure anyone else gets as excited as I do for the Pantone Color of the Year, but it makes me smile to see what ‘wins’ this prestigious award!  And, if you are scratching your head at the previous sentence, here’s a little backstory.

It’s actually fascinating if you think about it. The language of color is being used to illustrate the intersection of pop culture, trends and a reflection of the emotions of the times.

The Pantone Color Institute created the Color of the Year educational program in 1999 (not 2000 as I originally thought!).  It was originally created to draw the interest of the design community and those interested in color to start a conversation on color and its impact on the world around us. Color has the ability to express and reflect the emotions and feelings in the global community. 

Yes, feelings - color can express feelings.  Think about that for a moment.  Blue feels calm and serene.  Orange feels exciting and energetic.  Pink feels happy and joyous. 

How is the color of the year selected?  Who has input on the choice?

There is a global team of experts in color and design that spends the better part of a year discussing the global trends and research that will result in the color selection.  The selection is influenced by many factors, including entertainment, fashion, travel, social media and more. The experts arrive at their choice absent of commercial agenda or personal preferences. There are secret meetings to discuss and debate, and then the selection is revealed.  And this year we have….. (drumroll):

Peach Fuzz

The color represents a calming, nurturing sensibility. It embraces the youthful and the timeless in a compassionate, gentle presentation. You’ll see this color in designs, fashion, social media and more.

Since its creation 25 years ago, it has reached a much larger audience than the design world - it has become a recognizable symbol of the feelings and emotions of the times.  Which is pretty cool. I can’t wait to see all the ways that Peach Fuzz will integrate into our culture and leave its lovely imprint on 2024!